Vending machine



Sept- 1, 1931- H, R. WILLIAMS 1,820,929

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y BYQ'WM 5MM ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1931. H. R.- wlLLlAMs 1,820,929

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 1, 1931 HARRISON R. WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VENDING MACHINE Appicationkled February 19, 1929. Serial No. 341,236.

lMy invention relatesv to dispensing or vending machines, preferably of the coincontrolled type, for selling packaged goods vvor other articles, its leading aim and purpose l being to provide a construction of this character which will dispense or deliver' the goods with accuracy, reliablity and certainty, as the appliance is operated from time to time incident to the deposit of coins therein. 107A Other objects and purposes of the invention will be made apparent to those skilled in this art by means of the following detailed description of a desirable and preferred embodiment thereof, which is to be read in con- 4nectiony with the accompanying sheets of 'drawings illustrating such incorporation of the invention in physical form, and throughout the several views of which like reference characters have been employed to designate the same structural parts. In these drawings,- Fig. 1 is a substantially central, vertical cross-section through the appliance Fig 2 is an enlarged, vertical cross-section through the lower portion only of the structure, that is to say, through a side extension on the lower part of the casing;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on a still larger scale, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the parts being viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, the elements being viewed looking downwardly f Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, with the movable partsin a different position, that is to say,y with the operating handle depressed; t Fig. Gfis a larger vertical section on line 4U 6"(5 of Fig. 2, the arrows indicating thedirection from which the view is taken; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, enlarged section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

By reference to the plurality of views of these drawings, it will be perceived that the novel and improved dispensing or vending machine includes an upright casing or housing 21, comprising a back wall 22,-to which the combined top, front, bottom and end 50.walls 23, 24,25 and 26,'respectively, are

and at 41 at their a dispensing or discharge opening 32 through which the packages 33 or other goods, as the case may be, are delivered to the purchaser.

Internally, on the end walls 26, I provide registering, vertically-disposed guides or rails 34, and near the lower part of such housing a. pair of appropriately-journaled, front and rear, longitudinally-recessed shafts 35 and 36 are employed in the relation illustrated.

A lower, notched separator-plate 37 is supported by such companion or correlated shafts by reason of its front and rear marginal portions occupying the registering recesses or cavities of the two shafts (Fig. 1), such lowermost plate 37 supporting above it an alternating series or stack of such plates 3T and the packages of goods 33 to be sold by the machine. f

These plates are notched at their ends at 38 to receive and be guided by the vertical rails or bars 34, and they are also cut away at the two points 39, 39, at their front edges, rear margins, in order that they may escape conflict, when released by the simultaneous rocking of the two shafts 35k and 36, with a back, inclined lug 42 mounted on the inner side of the rea-r casing wall, and with a pair of similarly-inclined, spaced fingers 43, 43, located on the back of the front wall of the housing, these three supports 42 and 43 being so located and sloped that when a package is deposited or dropped on them, it will slide down by gravity out through the delivery aperture 32.

To assure that the pile or stack of packages and separatorplates shall have sufficient weight at all times for their proper descent, a weight 44 is placed on the uppermost package, and'it is guided by the rails 34, as are the so l plates, such weight having an upstanding, front flange 45 carrying a plate 4:6 designed to display the word Empty when it cornes opposite the window 31, whereby it may be read from the outside and inform the intending purchaser not to deposit a coin, as no delivery of a package can then be effected.

From the above description, it will be understood that every time the companion shafts are rocked simultaneously in opposite directions, ythe lowermost plate and the iirstpackage resting thereon will be released and fall, those above them being temporarily held from descent by reason of the unrecessed parts of the shafts turning in under the lower'- most supporting-plate.

The freed or released plate falls down to the bottom of the casing or housing, passing by the inwardly-projecting lugs or fingers 42 and 43, by reason of its registering notches 41 and 39, respectively, but the disengaged package, which has no such notches, is deposited or drops on to the sloping fingers, down which it slides by'gravity, out forwardly, through the opening 82, to the pur- Chaser. Y

Just'as soon as the two shafts are rocked back to normal or original position, bringing their recesses again into alinement with the supported stack, the latter descends until the lowermost plate falls into the recesses and is supported by the shafts, it, of course, supporting all of the other plates and packages above it.

The actuating mechanism for such shafts Vand the means for receiving the coins are located in a side extension i7 of the casing, access to thecoins in which may be had through a lock-equipped, removable door t8 (Fig. 6), the structural details of which, safar as this invention is concerned, being of kno substantial importance.

At their ends, the two shafts 35 and 36 are l fitted vwith inwardly-directed arms 51 and 52,

respectively, fixed thereto, and by which the shafts vmay be rocked in their bearings to perform their specified functions, the free ends of such arms being connected by links 53 and 54 to a vertically-slidableframe 55 pulled lupwardly by an appropriate'coiled "spring 56 connected thereto and to a pin 57 on the casing wall, such frame being guided in 'its vertical reciprocations by an extension 58 depending therefrom and slidablebetween a pair ofguide lugs 59, 59, forming part of, or attached to, the casing, the upward travel ofthe frame, and hence the rocking or turning movements of the shafts, being limited by nuts 6l on the threaded end of the part 58 striking against the under surfaces of the lugs of projections 59.

The upper' part of this vertically-reciprocatory frame is guided in its travel by lugs 62, 62, on thefcasing, and by a guide riba63v on the opposite wall of the casing the sideof the linger 74.

at 68, extending forwardly througha casinghole 69, the protruding part of the lever forming an operating handle V7l, and provided with a .lifting spring 7 2 which tends to rock the lever upwardly.

Thus the coin forms an operative mechanical connection between the lever and the pair of shafts 35 and 36 which support the stack or stock of packages, through the frame and the other mechanical elements heretofore described. l p

ln order that the lever when depressed may slide the frame downwardly to turn these two shafts to release a separator-plate and one of the Vpackages in the 'manner described, the coin must be prevented from tippingvover, and accordingly the lever has an enlargement 73 against which the coin may bear sidewise, and which prevents the coin from falling out of the frame at one side.

To preclude such coin from falling out of the frame in the other or oppositey direction and to hold it pressed in upright position against the part 7 3 of the lever, a verticallydisposed, pivotetl, spring-pressed finger 74, with a beveled lower end, i-s employed, such finger being hinged at 7 5 on a shaft rockingly mounted in spaced bearings '7 6, 76.

During the upward stroke of the frame, after ithas been depressed to edect a package delivery, the finger, under the action of its spring, having swung toward the lever as soon as the coin went down beyond the linger, the latter, by reason if lits sharp lower end, becomes interposed betweeny the lever and the lcoin and tips the latter over out of the frame, from which it falls into thelower part of the casing.

Tofacilitate this action, the face of the lever toward the coin may be somewhat beveled orinclined, as is fully shown in Fig. `6.

In ordertoinsure a full stroke of the lever and frame and to hold the finger 7 4 normally away from the face ofthe Vlever sufficiently to perm-it the entrance of the coin therebetween,

the following coacting instrumentalitieshave been provided.

' Afspring 77 is fastened at its lower end to the casing at 7 8, such member '77 having a turned-over or hook end 79 at its top and a cam mem'ber'S() intermediate its length. l

The frame has a. projection 81 designed to co-operate withsuch cam, and a lug 82 arranged to coact with a rod 83'projecting from Assuming that the intending purchaserhas iso deposited the coin in the chute 64 and that such coin has rolled down into place between the lever lugsi66I and they frame 55, as shown in 2, where it constitutes an yoperative mechanical connection between such movable elements, the coin being between the side of the lever and the finger 74, the latter being held spaced away from the lever by the action of lug 82 on the lateral finger arm or rod 88, the operator presses down on the handle 71 and rocks the lever in the same direction.

- The corresponding movement of the frame,

occasioned by such swinging of the lever, through the intervening coin, turns the two shafts 85 and 36 and causes the discharge of one package and its delivery to the purchaser.

As soon as the frame partakes of such depression, its lug 81 leaves the cam element 80, and the spring fleXes toward the lever and frame to carryits hook 79 above the lever so that the latter cannot rock up to its initial position until the hook has been pressed back out of the way.

The descent of the frame lowers projection 82 away from the finger-rod 83, and hence the finger 74 is free to respond to the action of its spring, and it presses against the adjacent face of the coin and keeps the latter in place.

When, however, the frame reaches its lowermost position, the coin has been carried below the sharp, lowerend of such springactuated finger 74, and the latter rocks over further, so that when thefpurchas-er initiates the release of the lever, it -moves up part way, the frame traveling likewise, and as the frame thus ascends, the finger 74 wedges the coin out of the same, so that it falls into the bottom of the'casing.

As soon as this occurs, the spring 56 quick- 'ly elevates the frame to original position,

and during this travel its lug 81 engages the cam 80 and forces the spring 77 back, carrying the hook 79 out of the path of travel of the lever, whereby the latterl may ascend, under the action of its spring, to its original position.

When the frame reaches its uppermost position, the parts 82 and 83 will retract the finger 74 into its initial position, by reason of the coaction of the parts 82 and 83, so that thenext coin introduced may properly roll into place in the frame between the lever and the finger. n

' If for any reason the coin is not thus ejected from the frame, which, of course, is unlikely, the frame cannot ascend to its original height, and therefore the lock or catch 7 9V will notgbe retracted, it being understood that the parts 77, 80, 81, and 7 9 constitute a safety` mechanism to prevent the operation of the appliance if the coin has n-ot been properly discharged into the casing.

It is desirable that means be provided to prevent the introduction or insertion of a coin if the supply of packages, to be sold, in the casing has become exhausted, and accordingly the weight 44 is provided with a spring-actuated plunger 84 fitted or supplied with a handle 85, the end of Vsuch plunger normally riding on the inner surface of that wall of the casing adjacent to the coin-tube 64, the upper end of which, just below its mouth 86, has registering holes 87, 87, which are in alinement with another hole 88 through the adjacent casing-wall, this series of holes being in register with the position of the rod 84 when the weight 44 is in its lowermost position corresponding to the empty condition of the appliance.

It will be readily understood, therefore,

ythat when the vending machine has no more packages to sell, and requires replenishing, the rod v84 will be automatically projected through the coin-chute, as illustrated in Fig. 3, thus preventing the introduction of a coin which could not result in the sale of one of the packages.

`When the supply of goods or packages in the casing has become exhausted and is to be replenished, the accumulated supporting plates in the bottom of the casing are removed and are inserted between the plurality of packages or articles, so that the replenished stack in the casing will present the general appearance of alternating plates and packages, as depicted in Fig. 1, which, however, shows the stack or supply almost exhausted.

Those acquain ed with this art will have no difficulty in understanding the substantial and material benefits and advantages actuate said movable means to deliver said articles one at a time, including a manuallyoperated lever, a coin chute and operating means connected to said movable means, said chute delivering the coin to form an operative mechanical connection between said lever and operating means, and a finger to hold said coin in correct operative position until the article has been released from the stack, means for moving said finger to 'accoinplishthe ejection of said coin, and means independent of. said coin to move said finger out of its ejecting position.

2. In a vending machine, comprising a casing, movable means in said casing to support a stack of articles to be dispensed, the combination of coin controlled means to act-nate lsaid movable means to deliver said articles one at a time, including a manually-operated lever, a coin chute and operating means connected to said movable means, said chute delivering the coin to form an operative Lmechanical connection betwen said lever and 1g operating means, 'means to hold said coin in Y correct operative position until the article has been released from the stack, said means acting positively to remove the coin from said operative connecting relation after the mjarticle has been released from the stack, and means to prevent the lever Jfrom returning to initial position provided the operative connection through said coin is not broken. A 3. ln a vending machine, comprising a cas- 2e ling, movable means in said casing to support a stack of articles to be dispensed, the combination ot coin controlled means to actuate said movable means to deliver said articles vone at a time, including a manually-operated 25 Jrlever, a coin chute and operating means connected to said movable means, said chute delivering the coin to form an operative mechanical connection between said lever and operating means, said lever including a 39 3coin receiving pocket extending around one face and a portion of the lower edge of the coin, a finger holding said coin against the wall of the pocket until the article has been f released from the stack, and means for caus- 35 Ying said retaining finger to eject said coin after the article has been released from the A stack.

' 4. In a vending machine, comprising a cas- K ing, movable means in said casing to support et a stackV of articles to be dispensed, the combination of coin controlled means to actuate saidV movable means to deliver said articles one at a. time, including a manually-operated "lever, a coin chute and operating means con- 45 `nected to said movable means, said chute delivering the 'coin to form' an V*operative mechanical connection between' said lever and operating means, said lever including a w coin receiving pocket extending around one @face and portion of the lower edge of the coin, a inger'ho'lding saidcoin against theV wall of 'the pocketiuntil the article has been released from vthe staclgmeans for causing l said retaining finger to Veject said coin after 55 the'article hasbeen released from the stack, and means for causing said finger to stand away from said wall of said pocket to allow the coin to be received therein. VIn testimony whereof I have aiixed my 5U signature to this speciiication.l

HARRISON R. wiLLnn/rs. 

